The Geography of Bliss

The USA is unique in that our Declaration of Independence identifies the happiness of citizens as a goal when organizing the country. The Geography of Bliss asks why all countries are not similarly organized. This book is a fun romp as the author visits different countries that have radically different happiness levels and seeks to find out why. A key finding from the book is that a rich cultural life increases happiness. This is consistent with my research that has shown its connections to, and experiences with, other people that account for most differences in happiness. This book made me… show more.

Subtitled One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World, this book chronicles Weiner’s travels to discover why some countries are happier than others. 

A former foreign correspondent for NPR, Weiner augments his adventures in the “happiest countries in the world” which include eating rotten shark in Iceland, and finding contentment in Bhutan with a trip to “the unhappiest country in the world,” my poor Moldova. He chose to visit Moldova when he said, “all of this happiness was starting to bum me out” and he thought a trip to an unhappy place might cheer him up. Spoiler… show more.